On March 29, a rally was held at Freedom Square in Yerevan, organized by the Committee for the Protection of Fundamental Rights of the Artsakh People. The demonstration aimed to shed light on the urgent challenges facing displaced Artsakh Armenians, who now find themselves in Armenia without clear prospects for the future.

At the rally, demands were raised in four key areas:

  1. The right to collective return to Artsakh – Displaced persons must have the opportunity to return to their homeland.
  2. Addressing urgent social issues – Effective programs are needed to provide housing and employment for Artsakh Armenians.
  3. The release of Armenian prisoners of war – Hundreds remain imprisoned in Baku, and securing their return must be a priority.
  4. Preservation of Armenian heritage in Artsakh – From cultural monuments to private property, everything is under threat of destruction.

Protest organizers gave the Armenian government one week to meet these and nine other demands or face continued street protests. To reinforce their message, they pitched a tent in Freedom Square and began a nonstop sit-in, marking the largest demonstration by displaced Artsakh Armenians since their forced exodus in September-October 2023.

The protest took place under an unusually heavy police presence, yet the government did not immediately respond to the demonstrators’ demands.

“If the authorities take no action to keep this segment of Armenians in Armenia and strengthen Armenia, the course of this struggle will definitely be unpredictable,” warned one speaker. “If they don’t solve our socioeconomic problems and our women and children are left on the street, this struggle will become a political struggle, whether they like it or not.”

The protest leaders are calling on Armenia’s leadership to take “all possible legal, political, and diplomatic steps to ensure the collective return of the people of Artsakh to their homeland, where they can live a safe, dignified, stable, and self-determined life.”

In November 2024, the government announced plans to gradually phase out this housing assistance. Starting in April, only children, university or college students, pensioners, and disabled persons will continue receiving aid, with monthly allowances decreasing to 40,000 AMD in April and 30,000 AMD in July. The decision to reduce support has fueled outrage among displaced families, who now face an uncertain future.